Battery terminal clamp



March 30,1943. Rg CLQNE 2,315,399

BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Filed Dreck. 16, 1941 Snventor auomgs.

20 ZZ *Maui Patented Mar. 30, F345 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERYTERMINAL CLAMP Charles R. Cline, New Brighton, Pa.

Application December 16, 1941, Serial No. 423,243 4 claims. (Cl.173-259) The present invention relates to 'improvements in batteryterminal clamps, and has for an objectto greatly simplify and facilitatethe operation of attaching and detaching storage battery terminals.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamp of separate andseparable sections adapted to be interlockingly united upcn a storagebattery terminal for the purpose of effecting electrical contact betweenthe battery terminal and thev cable; such sections being provided withinterlocking lost-motion parts which cooperate with a threaded bolt forapplying constrictive pressure about the interlocking lugs as a fulcrumto bind the lower portions of the sections upon the battery terminal.

A vstill further object of the invention is to provide, in a batteryclamp, separable sections so united that complete separation from oneanother may take place in an axial direction with 'respect to thebattery terminal, and to equip the sections with roughened, corrugatedor other iri regular surfaces to bite into the battery terminal to avoidsuch separating axial movement when the clamp is bound upon theterminal.

. The invention has for a further object to provide a clamp of anexpansive nature which will admit of the same automaticallyaccommodating itself to battery terminals of various diameters withoutimpairing its holding and conductive qualities.

With the foregoing and other objects in v1ew, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outinthe claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views- Figure 1 is a fragmentaryperspective view of a storage battery and terminal thereof, with the twoparts of the improved clamp shown in disassembled relation.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the sections of theclamp assembled in binding relation upon the battery terminal.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the assembled parts of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation, with a portion of the cable broken away,showing the clamp in binding position on the battery terminal.

lFigure 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5'-5 in Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a side elevation similar to Figure 4 showing the clampvsections in an intermediate phase of their application to the batteryterminal.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I0 designates a storagebattery, such as of the type found in automobiles, andi! represents theupwardly tapered frusto-conical battery terminal I I to which theimproved clamp is to be applied.

A form of cable is shown at I2, the same being aiiixed to one section I3of the improved clamp. The other companion section is indicated at I4,the two sections being internally grooved or rounded or formed partiallycylindrical in order to conform to the external surface configurationofthe frusto-conical battery terminal II.

The clamp sections I3 and I4 are separate and separable and aretemporarily interlocked by the use of mutual and complemental lugs I5and I6 which are provided in pairs at opposite diametric points andsubstantially intermediate the height of the two sections, thecontacting portions of the lugs forming a fulcrum on which the twosections I3 and I4 may rock. This rocking action may be roughlyconducted manual-y in the initial application of the clamp to theterminal II but in the last analysis is achieved with great force by ascrew bolt Il which is threaded through a tapped opening in the upperportion of one of the sections I4.

The lugs I5 and I6 are composed of substantially parallel arms whichextend out in opposite directions and at diiferent elevations from themutual sections I 3 and I4 so as to overlap at their free end portionsthrough substantial arcuate distances, Such free ends are formed withheads I8 and I9 extending toward one another and adapted to interlock inthe manner indicated in Figure 2. In other words the heads I8 and I9 aredisposed in the path of one another in a circumferential or arcuatesense and they therefore act as stops engaging one another to preventdis memberment of the clamp in the set position thereof, except by anupward axial movement of the member I3 with respect to the axis of thebattery terminal Il; but such axial movement of both clamp members I3and I4 is avoided by the pressure of the lower portions of the clampmembers upon the terminal Il and also preferably by the corrugations orroughened areas 20 and 2|. These corrugations or roughened areas consistof high and low points with the high points sharpened to bite into thematerial of the battery terminal II which is generally made of a softmetal.y

As noted from Figure 6, the'circumferential width of heads I8 and I 9 issubstantially less than the circumferential distance between the innerfaces of the heads and the adjacent radial edges of the sections bywhich they are carried so that the heads will have loose play and enablesuch heads and lugs to accommodate themselves to terminals II having avariety of different diameters or to different portions of the sameterminal which varies in diameter on account of its taper.

'I'he edges 22 and 23 of the heads I8 and VI9 l are rounded andcooperate with rounded surfaces 2l and 25 of the arms to form ball andsocket joints of a loose character with a substantial amount of playtherein to enable the sections I! and Il to be self adjusting withoutlosing the interlocking character of the connection.

The sections I3 and Il including the lugs may be constructed ofmanganese bronze, or other suitable material. Either member may besoldered or otherwise attached to a cable I2 and either member may befitted with the stud screw or bolt I1. The sections of the clamp I3 andI4 fit perpendicularly or substantially so on opposite sides of thestorage battery terminal II.'

Theinterlocking lugs are adjusted, tightened and made firm to thebattery terminal II by means of the stud screw or bolt I1. A

The corrugations 20 and 2| on the lower portions of -the clamp membersbite into the battery post II for the purpose not only of keeping theclamp from slipping oi the post but also for forming good electricalcontact.

'I'he interlocking arms and heads may be approxhnately 1/4" square toinsure maximum strength. They are also made so that they come down overthe battery post so they cannot come apart in service.

The` bolt I1 is disposedabove the top of the terminal II in easy reachof a wrench whereby there is no danger of the wrench slipping oi andbreaking the -battery top. After placing the device on the post Il thewrench may be used to turn the bolt. I1 to either tighten or loosen theclamp. When loosened the parts I3 and Il may be separated to facilitatecleaning or replacing.

It will be appreciated that the curvatures 22, 23 and 24, 25 mutuallycooperate to bind in interlocking relation no matter whether thesections I3 and Il are close together or farther apart as the angularityof the sections I3 and Il about the lug fulcrum changes in accordancewith varying diameters in the battery terminal II to be gripped.

The circumferential widths of the heads I8 and I9 is such that theseheads may be engaged with the arms close to the edges of the sectionsand then when the sections are drawn radially away from one another asubstantial radial movement is permitted before the heads engage oneanother and arrest any further movement of the two sections apart. Thusin the iirst instance the lower corrugated portions of the sectionsengaging the battery terminal constitute the fulcrums about which thesections move radially apart when pulled out by hand or by the pressureof the screw As soon as the heads engage the fulcrum .shifts to theengaging heads, that is to the intermediate portion of the sections andfurther operation of the screw then causes the sections to rock aboutthe lugs thus squeezing the lower faces coming fiush'togetherthroughouttheir entire areas when the two sections I3 and I4 arevertical, as shown in Figure 4.

The rear curved faces 2l and 29 of the heads and section edges are sorelatively shaped as to automatically move the sections in oppositedirections when the sections are backed radially away from one anotherwhereby to cause opening of the .hook-like lugs.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may 'be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specicallydescribed'embodiment of this invention without departing from the spiritthereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by thescope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

- 1. A battery terminal clamp comprising partcylindrical clamp sections,mutual and complemental lugs projecting inpairs from opposite diametricpoints and substantially intermediate the height of the two`sections,the contacting portions of the lugs forming a fulcrum on which the twosections may rock, the portions of the sections below the lugs engagingthe battery terminal, means engaged with the portions of the sectionsabove the lugs for rotating the sections about the lugs, said pairs oflugs each comprising substantially horizontal parallel arms extendingout vin opposite directions and at different elevations from the mutualsections and overlapping at their Y free end portions throughsubstantial arcuate distances, heads on such free ends extending towardone another and adapted to interlock, the circumferential widths of saidheads being substantially less than the circumferential distance betweenthe inner faces of the heads and the adjacent .rafdial'edges of thesections, the mutual engaging faces of the heads and arms being roundedto form ball and socket Joints of a loose character,4

the near interengaging faces of the heads being substantially nat in asubstantially vertical line when the sections are rocked .into a trulycylindrical relation with one another, the far faces ofthe heads and theopposite edges of the sec tions being rounded to cause riding of theheads axially apart as the sections are collapsed toward' one another. y

2. A battery terminal clamp comprising-partcylindrical sections, pairsof lugs at opposite diametric points on the sections, each paircomprising two arms and heads carried thereby, the arms being relativelyoffset and overlapped, the heads projecting toward one another from thefree end portions of the arms, the mutually opposed faces of the headsand arms being curved, and the mutually opposed faces of the sectionedges and heads being curved, the meeting faces of the heads being dat,the widths of the heads being less than the distance between the headsand .adjacent edges of the sections, and means carried by one sectionand having free engagementwith the other section to cause .the sectionsto lever.

3. A battery terminal clamp comprising separate and independentunconnected sections having means at their lower portions to engage thebattery terminal and act as fulcrums for initial levering of thesections away from one another, unconnected means on the intermediateportions of the sections initially unengaged and spaced apart and movedinto interlocking and fulcrum engagement by the initial levering andmeans carried by one section and having free engagement with the othersection above said unconnected means to cause the sections to leverabout ythe unconnected means when engaged and the width of each headhaving less than the distance between the adjacent head and the adJacentedges of the section, and means spaced a substantial distance above thelugs and engaging with the portions of the sections above the lugs forrotating the sections about the lugs, said means being disposed abovethe top of the terminal and said lugs being engaged at a point below thetop of the terminal when the clamp is 10 in its operative position onthe terminal.

CHARLES R. CLINE.

